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Never Realized How Good Headphones Are

Mr Owl

Mr Owl

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Have spent a few years putting together some nice audio gear, and really enjoy it. One area I never explored was headphones. That just changed.

I game a lot. Xbox mostly. I use wireless headphones (some decent Sennheisers) when gaming, because it's usually late after my wife goes to sleep. Plus, the headphones really put me into the game. This past weekend, I'm playing Mafia 3, which has an excellent soundtrack, and I noticed how much I was enjoying the music through the headphones. I decided to try a pair for music.

I settled on Sennheiser 598's, closed. I chose closed vs open because my reading (here and elsewhere) led me to believe that open were more airy, and simulated speakers, which I already have in spades - I wanted that internal, closed headspace. Plus, the price was low enough (like $150 or so) that it wasn't much of a risk.

I got them today, and am really, really impressed. I'm using them with my Yamaha A S801, and it's an entirely different experience than speakers. Equally as good, just different. I like it. A lot. New audio obsession maybe :)
 
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Good choice with those 598s. I also have a pair that I use mostly for late night TV and some gaming. I also have a few other pairs of Sennheisers (HD 600, HD 545) which are open. For music only, I prefer 'open". But there is something about the isolated, focused sound from closed phones that really draws one into a game. Another thing going for the 598s is comfort. I've tried other styles/brands but I always come back to the over-ear Sennheisers. Enjoy your new obsession!
 
The Q701s aren't perfect but driven with a modest amp are what won me over.

I'd say they are about the sonic equivalent of about $10,000 in speakers and amps in a very nice room.
 
sKiZo said:
Try adding a dedicated headphone amp to the system and prepare to be amazed yet again ... preferably something that allows you to tweak the settings to match your phones exactly ...
Click to expand...

yes, the 598s are particularly sensitive to output impedance, and I'm not able to find the headphone output impedance measurement for that amplifier. my 598s benefit hugely from a low output impedance headphone jack.
 
cratz2 said:
I'd say they are about the sonic equivalent of about $10,000 in speakers and amps in a very nice room.
Click to expand...
That's what everybody here says about good quality headphones now, who knows maybe it originates from that 8 year old post of yours? FWIW I agree with you. Detail vs impact is the eternal conundrum in this matter, but I'd say none is inherently "better", just different ways of savoring one's music. Also let's keep in mind that mastering is usually done using high-end headphones, could be the reason many an audiophile thinks headphones are more accurate than speakers when listening to studio recordings, and that it's the opposite with live recordings. Still, even with live tracks I don't always reach for the speaker system's remote even though my home speakers -Focal Kanta No 3-cost almost exactly what you mention in your post while my best phones except for one cost less than $2,000 and electronics driving them are much cheaper.
 
I still greatly prefer to listed to speakers, esp when listening to live/acoustic/jazz/classical music but fir hearing details and depth, textures and subtleties... yeah, I'd still say $500 headphones- when properly driven - beat my circa $7,000 main systems.

I will say, I don't listen to the Q701s much anymore as I find them a bit too warm.
Caveman Carl said:
That's what everybody here says about good quality headphones now, who knows maybe it originates from that 8 year old post of yours? FWIW I agree with you. Detail vs impact is the eternal conundrum in this matter, but I'd say none is inherently "better", just different ways of savoring one's music. Also let's keep in mind that mastering is usually done using high-end headphones, could be the reason many an audiophile thinks headphones are more accurate than speakers when listening to studio recordings, and that it's the opposite with live recordings. Still, even with live tracks I don't always reach for the speaker system's remote even though my home speakers -Focal Kanta No 3-cost almost exactly what you mention in your post while my best phones except for one cost less than $2,000 and electronics driving them are much cheaper.
Click to expand...
 
Been playing with audio for going on 6 decades now. Have had a lot of mix and match systems. Some really good, some not so much. All along along the way I've always had headphones. Koos HV's for a long time. Grado Alessandro's later. Recently I got an Advance Paris A-10 Classic integrated amp. So I decided to change up the final transducers. Some speaker switch-a-roo. Then back at to see what the headphone circuit was like. Went through the pile, then bought a used pair of Sennheiser HD6XX. Literally blew me away. Also bought some FiiO FT-1's that just came today. Pretty darn good. They are closed backs.

Thought I knew something about what headphones are about ... Well, I just got schooled. Those HD6XX's are what I've been looking for most of my life. They now define the sound signature and profile of what I want to hear. Clear, clean, sbut mostly engaging. Get a good recording and they draw me right in. Get a mediocre recording and you just want to toss it.

So bottom line, have fun, but be aware that it might change your perspective on other parts of your system :oops:
 
My 598's are my go to head phone for my my iPhones thru the years. They have more of a laid back sound versus the brighter sparkly sound of my 600 series headphones. 800 series are just to bright for me and to pricey. Would love to have some new Stax but they will almost break the bank so I will stick with my open Air Lambdas. I also have two other electrostatics. All of them are better than the dynamics. Just not as convenient to use.
 
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